By Luke Mangan

Last weekend, the MEK Galaxy U14 girls made all the county proud.

They brought European silverware back to the Kingdom by winning a prestigious U14 competition in Barcelona.

They did this by competing against youth teams from across Europe, including 22 other Irish teams.

The outstanding squad of 15, whom they all hailed from Fossa, Listry, Fieries, Milltown, Ballyhar and Killorglin, travelled to Barcelona with coaches Tony and Jo Harty and Nuala Quigg to compete against the top talented adolescent squads from the continent.

MEK’s first test was in the group stage when they faced IFK Stocksund, hailing from Finland. This was a convincing 3-0 win for the Irish girls with Ava Harty, Alannah Daly and Grace Ryan each converting once to seal a win.

The girls from Kerry continued their impressive form when they beat Spanish side TFC in their second group game.

The goals came from Alanah Daly, Isabelle O’Connor, Sinead Curran, and Ava O’Sullivan who played through injury but incredibly scored a brace.

Within the first two games, this talented set of players scored eight goals, and had six different goalscorers.

This showed the team’s superior talent and their versatile squad.

Their final group match was a sturdy test as they faced Norwegian side SK Brann, but thankfully a draw was enough to see the Kerry natives get into the knockout stages, thanks to a savory goal from Ava Harty.

In the ‘A’ semi-final, Galaxy faced anther strong Norwegian opponent, this time being Tertnes IL.

Both teams were unable to find a goal in normal time, so the match would be decided by a penalty shootout.

Despite being under pressure, the girls managed to pull through and triumph by winning 5-4.

With only two hours to rest and recover, they were back in action for the final which was held in the Futbol Salou Arena.

The girls faced one of Sweden’s best youth teams, Brommapojkarna IF.

There was a huge crowd in attendance.

The girls put out an incredible display of defensive and attacking football.

At the end of 90 minutes, both teams were held to 0-0; this did not seem to faze the girls as they had already been in this position during the tournament earlier.

The game would be decided by penalties, and Galaxy won the game in a comfortable 4-3 shootout.

Goalkeeper, Saoirse Teahan pulled off two outstanding saves and Aoibhinn O’Flaherty scored the decisive goal, despite carrying an injury from the semi-final. MEK Galaxy U14 girls were then crowned champions of Barcelona.

Each member of the squad played superbly throughout the tournament, and this was evidential throughout every game they played. Esmee Van Benthem was deservedly named as player of the tournament due to her exceptional performances.

Huge celebrations followed full time, and the girls were welcomed home by their families.
Two captains, Grace Barry and Ava Harty, with the cup


Esmee Van Benthem, who won Player of the Tournament


Full squad:

Saoirse Teahan
Grace Ryan
Lily Fogarty
Isabelle O Connor
Alannah Daly
Tara O Connell
Sinead Curran
Ava O Sullivan
Aoibhinn O Flaherty
Grace Barry
Megan Quigg
Ava Harty
Elise Brunner
Beibhinn Kelly
Esmee Van Benthem

The team at Gleneagle is celebrating a proud moment after scooping six awards at last night’s Irish Hotel Awards, held at The Johnstown Estate in County Meath.

The hotel was named Overall Winner for Excellence in Customer Service, recognising Gleneagle’s continued focus on delivering an outstanding guest experience built on genuine care and professionalism.
There was further celebration as team members were recognised for their individual achievements. Adam Sikorski received Overall Kitchen Porter of the Year and Eilis Loughrey was named Overall Human Resources Manager of the Year. At the regional level, Trevor O’Keeffe was awarded Munster Chef of the Year, Noreen O’Gorman received Munster Accommodation Services Manager of the Year and Gleneagle’s self-catering apartments were named Munster Self-Catering Property of the Year.
Patrick O’Donoghue, CEO of Gleneagle Group, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our team. These awards represent dedication, teamwork and a shared commitment to making every customer’s experience a positive one. We have been welcoming guests for almost seventy years and while much has changed in that time, what matters most hasn’t – great people, genuine warmth and a welcome that keeps guests coming back.”
The Irish Hotel Awards celebrate excellence across Ireland’s hospitality industry, recognising the hotels and individuals who go above and beyond to deliver quality and care in every aspect of their work.